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APPENDIX. 
where opposed currents met. It is evident that these islands 
and spits of sand parallel to the coast and separated from 
it by shallow lagoons, have no necessary connection with 
coral-formation. 
Having now endeavoured to remove some sources of 
doubt in classifying the reefs of the West Indies, I will 
give my authorities for colouring such portions of coast as 
I have thought myself warranted in doing. Captain Bird 
Allen informs me that most of the islands on the Bahama 
Banks are fringed, especially on their windward sides, with 
living reefs ; and hence I have coloured those, which are 
thus represented in Captain Owen’s chart, red. The same 
officer informs me, that the islets along the southern part 
of Florida are similarly fringed ; coloured red. — Cuba : 
proceeding along the northern coast, at the distance of 40 
miles from the extreme S.E. point, the shores are fringed 
by reefs, which extend westward for a space of 160 miles, 
with only a few breaks. Parts of these reefs are represented 
in the plans of the harbours on this coast by Captain Owen ; 
and an excellent description is given of them by Mr. Taylor 
(Loudon’s Mag. of Nat. Hist. vol. ix. p. 449) ; he states 
that they enclose a space called the ‘ baxo,' from half to 
three-quarters of a mile in width, with a sandy bottom, and 
a little coral. In most parts people can wade, at low water, 
to the reef ; but in some parts the depth is between two 
and three fathoms. Close outside the reef, the depth is 
between six and seven fathoms : these well-characterized 
fringing-reefs are coloured red. — Westward of long. 77° 30', 
on the northern side of Cuba, a great bank commences, 
which extends along the coast for nearly four degrees of 
longitude. In its structure, and in the ‘ cays,' or low 
islands on its edge, there is a marked correspondence (as 
observed by Humboldt, Pers. Narr. vol. vii. p. 88) between 
it and the great Bahama and Sal Banks, wdiich lie' directly 
in front. Hence one is led to attribute the same origin to 
